Ballet at the Bar(re) is an entertaining spectacle in unusual spaces, that will enhance social experiences with found dance experiences, appealing to a diverse range of audiences. Ballet at the Bar(re) is a dance piece that incorporates classical ballet with contemporary dance, that can be showcased almost anywhere with a small bar/cafe space. Successfully piloted in a bar, foyer and café space in Coventry and Birmingham, supported by Birmingham Royal Ballet, Arts Council England & Coventry City Council, the piece breaks down the ballet spectacle bringing live performance right in front of the eyes of an audience including elements of audience interaction and engagement.
Ballet at the Bar(re) is easy for audiences to relate to and understand, regardless of age, gender, cultural background, or language spoken. It has the ability to access new audiences, targeting specific communities if desirable. It’s easy to follow narrative and recognisable dance forms, accompanied by strong technical and impressive movements within close proximity of audiences, and also the potential for people to ‘grab a drink’ with performers afterwards, allow for a strong engagement and breaking barriers and stigmas between audiences and performers. The close proximity with performers of such quality, may change people’s perception and engagement with dance, therefore having a greater impact on audiences. We believe Ballet at the Bar is unique way to blend social meetings/events with arts and culture.
The piece exists in two models, a 30 minute one off performance, or a durational piece over an hour with audience interaction between shorter performances of the material. The piece is currently being developed into a full touring piece and will be ready to tour from May 2019. We envision that each performance will reach up to 100-150 people live. Supported with social media footage and live casting we anticipate a strong social media presence and reach for a secondary audience when delivered with a partner organisation/festival.
We are looking for partners who are interested in having a conversation about presenting the work. If you are interested in finding out more then please get in touch with Oliver Scott at oliverscott@mercurialdance.co.uk or 07884 068108.
Mercurial Dance are based in Coventry and work nationally bringing participants of all ages and backgrounds into active engagement with the arts. Founded and led by Artistic Director Oliver Scott, unites dance with a range of other artforms to offer both ambitious participatory projects and public performances.
More information and film footage of our work can be accessed on our website – http://www.mercurialdance.co.uk/ and on our social media pages, Facebook @MercurialDance, Twitter @MercurialD, and Instagram @MercurialDance.
